The Fifth Horseman
by InfiniteBurn
Summary: He was the impossible warrior. Extinct, yet alive. Found in the ruins of a town on Earth, he is taken in by the Horsemen and is taught their ways. He is the Fifth Horseman. He is... Redemption.
1. Chapter 1 In the Beginning

Lately, I've become obsessed with Darksiders. Right now, I'm in the middle of reading _The Abomination Vault_ (if you haven't read it, please do – you won't regret it), and I'm quite enjoying it. Suddenly this story popped into my head, and I rushed to the computer, where I'm now typing it furiously. Bear with me, as I'm making most of this up as I go.

**Darksiders – The Fifth Horseman**

_The boy looked in terror at what was laid out before him._

_His home was gone, nothing more than a pile of ash. In some places, there wasn't even ash – just unnaturally blank spaces of ground. All throughout town, the child knew, would be much of the same. The four strangers left nothing standing of what had once been the boy's home._

_These strangers… what were they? The town had been blessed by God himself – not even the full might of the U.S. Military could have stopped them. The boy wanted nothing to do with this, of course. He had just wanted to play with Liam and Tiana, his two best friends. No matter how his parents wanted him to become involved in the coming war with the world, the boy would just go and play with his friends, imagining they were super-heroes._

_An armored boot stomped on the ground in front of him, bringing the child back to the present. Looking up, he saw that it was the more massive of the strangers. A massive sword, impossibly long and impossibly wide, was clutched in his armored hand. A red hood did nothing to conceal the glowing eyes, which bored into the child like a hot knife would go through butter. There was no malice, but rather a surprised curiosity._

"_You, boy," he said, his voice that of a general born in war, "how did you live through this purge?"_

"_Brother," another voice called, this one female, "what did you find?"_

"_A boy, still alive," the red-hooded man answered. "You must have missed him, Fury."_

"_More likely, it was you who missed him, War," a third voice replied. The boy thought he sounded familiar, and placed it a second later – his voice reminded him of the actor who played Green Lantern. "You're slipping, brother. Must be because you haven't been in any good fights lately."_

"_That'll change if you keep that up, Strife," the one called War warned. "What shall we do with him?"_

_A hand touched the boy's left shoulder, causing the boy to let out a yelp. He would have screamed, but he had lost most of his voice during the destruction of the town. Turning to see who had touched him, he found himself face to face with what was possibly the most terrifying of the four strangers. This one had no face, only a mask that was bone white. The mask was devoid of any features, save for two long and narrow slits where the nose would be. Eyes the color of burning orange looked over the child, as if dissecting him with his gaze._

_Suddenly, the boy started screaming, all thoughts of preserving his voice thrown to the wind. He felt as if his skin were bulging, about to burst. When he looked at his body, however, it looked absolutely normal. As quickly as he had felt the sensation, it left, leaving the child breathless._

"_Impossible," the masked man said, his voice as dead and featureless as his mask._

"_What, Death?" War asked, his voice troubled. "What is it?"_

"_This boy… he is one of us. A Nephilim."_

"_But it's as you said – impossible," Strife said, running to join his brothers. "They were… that is, we…"_

_Fury was now with them, and knelt before the child. "Little one," she asked, "what is your name?"_

"_I… I…" the boy struggled to speak, and to remember. "I don't remember."_

"_There's more," Death said, drawing attention back to him. "I felt incredible power inside the child. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was already imbued with power from the Charred Council."_

_Strife whistled and tussled the boy's dark brown hair. "Congratulations, kid. You impressed Death, something that many billions of beings have tried to do for centuries… and failed."_

_The others walked off, talking amongst themselves. The boy stood up, stretching his legs and thinking. A Nephilim? What on Earth was _that_? Even living in this town, who knew far more about the supernatural then most other towns on Earth, he had never heard of such a thing._

_Fury came back, the other strangers mounting horses that hadn't been there before. "You don't have a home anymore, do you, little one?"_

"_N-no," the child replied, no longer scared, but sad._

"_Well, my brothers and I are willing to take care of you. We will teach you all that we know, and provide what we took from you."_

_Fury picked up the child, cradling him in her arms. They then got on her horse, a magnificent animal with a mane of purple sparks._

"_Hey, kid!" Strife called. Looking his way, the kid saw Strife toss a gun to him. It was very elegant, with a small dagger welded onto the side of the barrel. The boy looked at Strife, a questioning look on his face._

"_If you're riding with us," Strife explained, "you're going to need that. Consider it a birthday present."_

"_What's its name?" the boy asked._

"_It's called Forgiveness. And its owner is supposed to embody one thing – Redemption."_

I don't own Darksiders. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2 The Charred Council

**I'm surprised at how excited I am for this story. I'm going to finish up my other ones, of course, but this story has captivated my attention. Just a warning – I got some of the things I mention in this chapter from the Darksiders II digital comic that Dark Horse is currently making. And a quick disclaimer – I don't own Darksiders as a brand. That honor goes to the team at Vigil Games.**

**Here's another chapter of The Fifth Horsemen! **

It was official – the Charred Council scared the boy, now called Redemption, scared him as much as his cranky second-grade teacher did.

The other Horsemen had told the Charred Council everything they knew. War had gone first, telling them why Redemption was even in the same dimension, let alone the same room. Fury then delivered her bit, saying that keeping the child with them was of extreme importance… and the reason for his being so. Strife said little, but his few words said very much in themselves.

When Death spoke, it was with finality. "The child is one of us. We are taking care of him."

The Charred Council, of course, was outraged. The three stone heads thrashed this way and that, threatening every kind of punishment imaginable… even a few the Horsemen didn't even know existed. The Horsemen remained adamant; they even drew their weapons slightly, in case any of the other agents of the Charred Council decided to attack.

Seeing as they got nowhere with the Horsemen, they decided to take a different route. "Redemption," the middle head called. "Come forth."

The boy took small, trembling steps forward. He looked at each of the Horsemen as he passed. Strife gave him a thumbs-up and nodded encouragingly. Fury hugged her arms against her chest, wishing him luck. War saluted Redemption, bringing his sword level with his eyebrows. Death said nothing, letting his gaze doing the talking. It said, _Good luck – you're going to need it_.

Redemption stood before the Charred Council, not quite hiding the trembling in his knees. The heat made him want to step back, if not run away outright. He refused, though. He owed his friends that much.

"What they say – is it true?" the stone head on the right asked. "Are you a Nephilim?"

"I think I am," Redemption replied. "The other townspeople always said I was special, and I believed them."

"Then why," the left head asked, "did you not participate in your race's activities? Why did you not help them in their conquest?"

"Because I didn't even know they existed until today. Just yesterday, all I worried about was whether I would beat my best friend's high score in LittleBigPlanet."

Whatever answer the Charred Council had expected, they weren't expecting that. After taking a moment to compose themselves, they asked, "Are you certain you want to take on this role? It's not for the faint of heart, and there will be no easy choices if you accept it."

"You know, I've been thinking about that on my way over," Redemption replied. He raised his voice so the other Horsemen could hear. "We have a saying where we come from. It goes, 'with great power, comes great responsibility'. What I have been asking myself on the way here – what I've actually been asking myself for years – is this; to who do we – do _I_ – owe that responsibility?"

"I've finally found an answer. I owe that responsibility to everyone I can possibly help. It's what it means to be a true hero." He paused, looking down at his feet. Then, very quietly, he said, "It's what my best friends would want. I can't let them down."

Nobody said anything for a few moments. The flames inside the eyes and mouths of the Charred Council dimmed down, as if they were about to become larger and brighter than before. When the Charred Council resumed, they had lost their accusing tone.

"We have debated, and we have decided. We believe your story, and we believe the Horsemen's. You shall become the fifth Horseman. Hold still. This will be very unpleasant."

Feelings of nausea and shock swept through Redemption. It was as if the bile rising in his throat was burning and shocking everything it touched on its way out. No matter how much it hurt though, he didn't throw up. Not because he didn't want to, but simply because he couldn't.

To the Horsemen, it lasted five seconds. To Redemption, it lasted an eternity. When the pain finally stopped, he stood up on weak legs. Stumbling, he would have fallen if Strife hadn't been there to hold him up.

"You are all dismissed," the Charred Council said.

Redemption walked with the other Horsemen towards their steeds. "What happens now?" Redemption asked.

"Before we can start training you," War said, "we need to get you a few things. We need to get you a weapon, and we need to get you a horse."

"And we know just the place to get you a horse," Fury said. "Redemption, you are going to meet the Horsemaster."


	3. Chapter 3: The Horsemaster and Me

**Sorry for the long update. I was getting used to college life (and midterms), so I didn't have much of an opportunity to update any of my stories, let alone this one. Now, though, I have that opportunity. Enjoy!**

**By the way – the rest of the story is going to take place from Redemption's point of view. I'll let you guys know whose point of view is narrating each chapter.**

Chapter 3: The Horsemaster and Me (and why I hate horseshoes)

I wish you could be here to see this, Liam.

It's beautiful here. The Horsemen (I know, they said it's alright for me to call them brothers and sisters, but it doesn't feel right. It's like calling some random guy you find on the streets of New York your brother.) brought me to this massive open field. The grass here isn't anywhere as neat as the grass back home (or what's left of it) – it fits the wild setting this place is throwing off. Remember how you wanted to visit a place that would have made the Grand Canyon jealous? I think I just found it.

A few yards ahead of us, a lone figure sat like he was meditating. His back was to us, so all I could see was a hat that belonged on Clint Eastwood, a red cape that actually resembled one more than War's did, and a line of blond hair sticking out from under the hat.

Getting up, he turned to us. Damn – he did look like he belonged in a Clint Eastwood film! Not the more recent ones, but the old westerns. His face was set in a permanent frown, like someone killed his dog. His face looked like it was shaved a few days ago – a stubble of blonde hair was starting to grow in.

"Welcome back to the Far Fields, Horsemen," the cowboy said. Then he noticed me. He looked surprised to see me. Guess he isn't used to having kids in his place. "And who is this?"

"He is one of us," Death said. The way he said it, he did not want us to discuss it.

Strife, my favorite Horseman so far, ignored the meaning behind Death's words. "He's a Nephilim, Horsemaster, and we want to turn him into the fifth Horseman."

The Horsemaster turned to me, but this time he was really surprised. "What does the Charred Council have to say about this?" He asked.

This time I spoke up. "They're okay with it. If someone tells you that getting power from them is painless, though, don't believe them."

The other Horsemen chuckled, except for Death. I'm starting to get the feeling that companies who make anti-depressants would make a fortune off him. Smiling, the Horsemaster said, "No, I imagine not. What is your name, son?"

"Don't remember my name while I lived on Earth," I said. I felt really bad about that – I feel like I should remember, for you and Tiana if nothing else. "In the meantime, call me Redemption."

"Well, Redemption," the Horsemaster said, "have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Oh, yes," I replied. "My family owned a ranch on Earth. My dad always had me take care of our two horses." I left out the part that I had help from you guys. Liam, you may have taught me a lot, but you kinda took the horses out of my hands.

"Good." The Horsemaster turned to the edge of the canyon. "In that case, your chances just went from hopeless to slim."

Joining him, I saw what he meant. At the floor of the canyon, a herd of horses were grazing. I don't know if you can even call them horses – they looked more like something out of an Ozzy Osborne show. Smoke rose from their hooves, and their eyes looked like they could send every monster made in the last ten years crying for their moms.

"And _how_ am I supposed to do this?" I asked.

"For starters, no weapons," the Horsemaster stated. He must have had this line rehearsed and ready. "These horses will bend only to your will. Nothing else will deter them."

A roar interrupted his lecture. Looking towards the direction of the sound, I saw my first true monster. It looked like a mountain lion, but human bones lined its hide like stripes on a tiger. The tip of the tail ended in a very nasty looking blade, black and thin. Wherever it stepped, the ground crumbled and dissolved. Overall, I prefer the mountain lions at home.

"It's a Reshorza!" Strife swore. The entire time the Horsemaster and I were talking, he must have walked up behind us. "Those things are bad news!"

"Stay up top," the Horsemaster ordered. "Even the Four Horsemen can't stand against a Reshorza for long."

None of us argued. We watched as it circled the horses, who had gathered together in a tight circle. One horse in particular was glaring at the Reshorza, daring it to attack its herd. That cat must have some serious pride issues, because it started returning the horse's glare with one of its own.

With a defiant snort, the horse reared up, its hooves kicking the air between them. He then charged the Reshorza in what was either a moment of bravery or stupidity. Personally, I think that's the most badass horse I've ever seen.

It's official – I hate Reshorza. The stupid cat sidestepped the horse, opening up its side as it passed with its tail. The horse fell over, and even though I couldn't hear it, I knew it was panting heavily. The Reshorza actually smirked, it's whiskers lifting up slightly. Drooling, it started advancing on the poor horse.

"Screw this!" I shouted. Grabbing Forgiveness, I started sliding down the canyon. The other Horsemen and the Horsemaster started yelling after me, ordering me to come back. Sorry, guys, but this cat is really pissing me off. It reminded me too much of when my dad started drinking, followed by the beatings. I'll be damned if another soul gets hurt by some stupid furball!

The moment I reached the floor of the canyon, I whipped Forgiveness towards the cat. I fired, purposely missing by inches. What I didn't expect was how powerful it was – a blue bullet half the size of my pointer finger raged out of the gun and buried itself into the rock, causing a spiderweb of cracks to appear. Damn, Strife – why would you give a kid a gun this powerful?!

The Reshorza turned its head towards me, angry once again. "Hey, ugly!" I shouted. "Mess with someone your own size!" Seriously?! That's the best taunt I could come up with?! I've heard better from Justin Bieber!

Much to my surprise, it actually worked. The Reshorza started charging at me, its leaps carrying it a dozen feet at a time.

I just realized – I don't have much to threaten this thing with. Just a gun with a blade welded onto its side and what passes for my skills. Under my breath, I whispered, "Sorry, Horsemen. Sorry, Liam. Sorry, Tiana."

I aimed at the Reshorza, who was about to close the distance between us. My heart calmed. I raised the gun, but instead of firing, I waited. At the last second, I dropped to my knees, letting the Reshorza sail above me. I left it a parting gift; a stab to the stomach.

The Reshorza crashed with a sickening _thud_. Holy crap – I might be cut out for this after all! As stupid as it looked, I started doing a victory dance like I was one of the Cal Berkeley football players from The Play.

A weak neigh made me facepalm myself. I had forgotten why I came down here! Rushing towards the injured horse's side, I knelt down. I'm not an expert in medicine or healing, but I don't think this horse has long to last.

"I saw what you did," I whispered, petting the horse's neck. "That was pretty amazing."

The horse turned an eye towards me. It looked pleading.

"You were protecting someone you cared about, didn't you?" I asked gently. "You wanted to do what you could to have them live to roam another day."

The horse's breathing slowed. Dammit – why does this always happen?! The good are punished while the bad guys live the good life. Well, I'm sick of it.

Obeying an instinct I never heard before, I placed both hands above the horse's open side. Closing my eyes, I concentrated as green symbols that would have looked appropriate in Halo floated in my mind's eye. I vaguely heard skin and muscle reattaching themselves as I continued concentrating. By the time I opened my eyes, I saw that the wound had completely closed up. Not only that, but there wasn't a scar or anything! It looked like the wound hadn't even existed!

I helped the horse up, which was a lot tougher than it sounds. Hey, I'm underweight, so don't judge me! Once the horse was up, it looked at me with a sparkle in its eyes. I swear, if a horse could smile, it would right now. Instead, it gestured its head towards the right.

My mouth dropped open. "You want me to ride you?" I asked. The horse nodded. Still in disbelief, I got on the horse's back. This feels nice. I feel like I was meant to have this horse.

"You're full of surprises, Redemption," the Horsemaster said. Huh – he sounded close.

Looking behind me, I saw that he was. The other Horsemen were there as well. War was smiling like this was the best moment in his life. Fury looked so happy, I swear I saw a tear on her cheek. Death was as mysterious as ever, only this time he was staring at me in wonder. I take back what I said earlier – he doesn't need an anti-depressant.

Strife ran up towards me and gripped me in a bear hug. Don't get caught in one of those – he doesn't leave you much room to breathe. Wiggling for breathe, I said, "If you had given the Reshorza one of those, I wouldn't have had to come down here."

Both he and the Horsemaster chuckled at that. "So, Redemption, it seems this horse is yours," the Horsemaster said. "Congratulations."

"Does he have a name?" I asked.

"Only the one you're about to give him," the Horsemaster replied.

Turning its head towards me once more, my horse and me both started thinking. What do I call him? I'm not gonna name him something embarrassing, like Rodney or Bob. Wait, I got it! My horse seemed to agree with me, another sparkle in his eyes.

Getting down off my horse, I put my hand on his side. "His name," I said, "is Shield."

At that, my horse started changing. Metal plating started growing on his body, similar to the way Iron Man's armor was put on in the movies. The steel was a magnificent silver, resembling horse armor from the Medieval Ages. Yellow glass covered Shield's eyes, acting like a one way window – he could see out, but nobody could see in. A saddle grew on his back; however, it was made of grey steel instead of leather. His tail turned into strands of metal. By the time he had finished changing; Shield looked like he fitted his name. Completely armored, even his ears, he looked ready to protect someone.

Getting on top of Shield, I patted his neck, saying, "Ready for some adventures, my friend?" He reared up in response, tossing his mane side to side. "I'll take that as a yes," I smiled.

Grabbing some reins that hadn't been there before, I set off in a gallop. I looked behind me, and I saw that the other Horsemen had summoned their rides and were catching up.

This is amazing. I've made my first friend since the destruction of the town, and the other Horsemen are getting more and more likable. Whatever crap life wants to throw at me, I only have this to say – BRING IT!

**Ah, the wonder of having a horse. I'm quite jealous of Redemption. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


	4. Apology and Alert

**I'm sorry for putting this story on hiatus. It's just that dealing with my first year of college is proving to be harder than I thought. However, I do have some good news – this story will continue starting in June. Once again, I'm truly sorry. **


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